One feature of digital cameras is the ability to record a shooting date and time, camera setting values such as the exposure control value, and various photographing information such as lens information, along with image data in a captured image file.
For example, a digital camera has been proposed in which the focus detection point used in focusing control of the photographing lens is recorded, and when an image file is reproduced, the position of the focus detection point is displayed superimposed on the image (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-128044).
Also, an image capturing apparatus has been proposed in which it is possible to record a plurality of focus detection points that have been selected and focus detection data (e.g., distance information indicating the distance from the image sensing plane to the object) at such focus detection points (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-12307).
Information indicating such focus detection points and the focus detection data is used in various applications, such as determining whether an object has been captured as a user has intended, image manipulation, image management, and searching.
However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-128044 has the problem that only the focus detection point that was used in focusing control is known, and the focus detection data is not known.
Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-12307, focus detection data that has been recorded in a recorded image file is data from immediately before the image was actually captured, and although this is not a problem in the case of a still object, if the object is moving, the focus detection data and the image will not completely match due to a time lag from when focus detection is performed until the image is captured; accordingly, there is the problem that it is difficult to utilize the focus detection data.